


Interoffice Interactions

by mylifeisloki



Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: F/M, I'm Sorry, I... I was mean to Sharon, Pretending to Date AU, Secretary au, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-24
Updated: 2016-02-24
Packaged: 2018-02-22 11:56:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,222
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2506913
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mylifeisloki/pseuds/mylifeisloki
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Steve's ex wants to go to lunch to brag about her new boyfriend, so he does what anyone with staff would- he begs for a favor from his secretary. One thing leads to another and Natasha finds herself too tempted to pass this opportunity up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

“Yeah? Okay, that's fine. No, I'm not busy for lunch. Why would I lie? Great. See you soon.”

Steve slammed his phone down and swore out loud, glad for the thick, wooden door keeping him separate from the rest of the office. Fuck. Fuck, fuck. Why did she have to come to his office? Couldn't they meet outside somewhere? Furthermore, why did they have to meet at all?! The divorce was finalized already, damnit, and he was desperate to never see Sharon's face again, but no. No, she decided that they needed to catch up since they hadn't seen each other in six months after that sham of a marriage and wasn't he free for lunch? In ten minutes. Wasn't he free in ten minutes? Steve hated that she assumed he was, he hated even more than she made it sound like he shouldn't be and hated the most the fact that he actually was free. Fuck.

Taking a look at himself in the mirror, he immediately wanted to go back in time to last night and maybe not stay up watching the last three episodes of that stupid TV show he couldn't even remember the name of right now. He had bags under his eyes, his shirt was rumpled, and he was beginning to think that the 'I've got so much to tell you' that she'd goaded him with meant that she'd moved on. He could not lose that battle. He'd lost enough pride to her already. But what could he do at such short notice?

Very slowly, his eyes slid to the window of his office and the redhead sitting just outside it. His secretary, Natasha, had unfortunately been the recipient of way too many inappropriate stares and Steve regularly felt the need to apologize to her, whether that be through lunches he would order and pretend to have accidentally ordered too much or sending her home early under the pretense of her being such a fast worker. But she was pretty, and confident... She could probably stand in for his girlfriend or something, just for a few minutes.

Was he really going to do this? Wasn't this the moment when he crossed over from 'lonely boss who looks a little too much' to 'defendant in a sexual harassment lawsuit'? Well, all he could do was try. Taking a deep breath, he straightened his tie and sat down behind his desk, hitting the intercom button. “Natasha? Can you come in here for a moment please?” She answered in the affirmative like she always did and a moment later, he was watching her open his door and slip through.

She really looked great today, but then again... she always looked amazing. Today, she was wearing a tight, black pencil skirt that showed off curves Steve was dying to touch, along with a simple red shirt with a neckline that was just conservative enough to be appropriate. Every time she'd leaned over that morning within his line of sight, he'd had to excuse himself. Maybe it had just been too long, but Steve was starting to think there might be something wrong with him.

“Yes, sir?” she ventured, tilting her head to the side.

He sighed because she still called him ‘sir’ regardless of the fact that he’d told her using his name was fine like a year ago, back when he was still married to the monster that was his ex. Natasha could be so witty and sharp, but she wouldn’t let the formal title drop, even if he didn’t call her ‘Miss Romanov’ anymore.

"I, uh... I need a favor. And I know it's inappropriate, but I'm just sort of hoping you'll say yes instead of telling me that you'll be filing a formal complaint as soon as you leave the room."

Natasha's perfectly manicured eyebrows raised and he could see the question written all over her face because he'd just made this sound a lot dirtier than it was, hadn't he? Shit. "It's nothing really bad!" he covered quickly (and terribly). "I just..."

She was growing impatient. He could tell by the way she shifted her weight from one leg to the other and planted her hands on her hips. "Sharon's coming to meet me for a lunch I don't want to go to and I know she moved on and I was wondering if you'd--" He cringed. "If you'd pretend to be my girlfriend. Or something. For ten minutes, I swear!"

Steve was pretty sure he was going to lose his job because of a heinous sexual harassment lawsuit and scandal, but Natasha just looked at him like she hadn't heard right. "You want me to do what?"

Bowing his head in shame, Steve leaned forward to rest his elbows on his desk, lacing his fingers together like he was saying a prayer. "Just pretend you're my girlfriend. You know, stand next to me, kiss me on the cheek or something. So she doesn't think I'm quite the loser I am. I can't give her the satisfaction, Nat. I can't."

If pity was what got him there, so be it. Natasha's plump lips pressed together and she studied him for a moment before marching forward and pointing down at him, all business. "Ten minutes," she agreed. "And only because you look like someone just kicked a puppy in front of you." She ticked off the rules on her fingers, red nails flashing in front of him. "No pet names. Don't speak for me and I swear, if I feel your hand on my ass at any time, I'll make sure she knows who wears the pants in this pretend relationship. Got it?"

Steve blinked in alarm, looking between her fingers and her eyes for a moment. "Yes, ma'am," he answered, nodding along. "All those things. I promise."

She smirked and just then, the door began to open. Steve moved to stand up, but Natasha pushed him back down and sat sideways on his lap, draping her arms around his neck. By the time Sharon stepped into the room, she was leaning down to speak to him, a smile playing on her lips. Natasha took way too much pleasure in the pinched look on the other woman's face as she stopped there and pretended not to be annoyed by what she saw.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Natasha smile coyly and touched Steve's cheek, sliding off his lap to give off an air of... well, workplace propriety. "No, of course not," she answered, brushing imaginary wrinkles from Steve's shoulders. "You two were going to lunch, right?" Smooth and calm, she bent at the waist and even let her foot pop as she kissed his cheek. "I'll clear your schedule, sir," she murmured against his skin.

She wasn't sure who was staring in more shock- Steve or his ex. No matter. Natasha sashayed towards the door, giving Sharon a polite smile before moving to exit the room. "You should come with us."

Natasha froze and slowly turned back. She’d almost expected Sharon to ask for something like that- perhaps because she didn’t believe them and wanted some proof- but the request came from Steve and she was going to kill him for that. “Yes,” Sharon added quickly. “Yes, you should. I’m sure Steve can permit that.”

Steve nodded quickly. “Uh, just make sure my schedule is clear,” he said belatedly, answering Natasha’s glare with a wide smile that turned pleading when Sharon looked back towards the redhead.

She pressed her lips together, but inclined her head to agree because (and only because) she didn’t feel like humiliating her boss. “Of course,” she answered easily. “Just give me a few minutes to straighten everything out.”

With that, Natasha continued on her way back out, sitting down at her desk to take a deep breath and curse the fact that she’d agreed to this charade. It was bad enough that she’d already been on her boss’ lap—her very attractive, impossibly sweet boss, she might add. Going to lunch would mean talking about herself, talking about them as a couple, and probably at least one kiss. And she didn’t mind kissing him, but… well, that was the problem. She didn’t mind kissing him and she worried that once she’d tasted him, she’d want more.

The truth was that Natasha had been well aware of how attractive Steve was from the moment she'd interviewed for the job. He was sweet, too. Sweet, well-spoken, intelligent... Honestly, he was everything that any woman might want in a man. Of course, when he'd told Natasha that he was getting married just a few weeks from when she was hired, she hadn't been surprised. All the good ones were already taken. She just hadn't been aware at that point, and neither had Steve, that the woman he was marrying was actually a shrew in disguise.

His schedule was cleared just as Steve opened his door and escorted Sharon out, his jacket already on. “Ready to go?” he asked way too brightly, though Natasha did what she could to not glare at him in return.

“All ready,” she confirmed, standing and tugging on her cardigan before approaching Steve and slipping her hand into his. She mentally chided him for looking so surprised and she was sure Sharon caught that look, which wasn’t a good thing at all if they wanted to make this work.

The walk was awkward- Steve and Sharon discussed what had been going on in their professional lives while Natasha pretend to be interested, and they eventually settled on a quiet Italian restaurant just two blocks from where Steve and Natasha worked. Steve pulled out Natasha’s chair for her and she smiled genuinely at that. How her gentleman of a boss had fallen in with trash like Sharon, she just didn’t know. It was probably a smart move on her part and a naive one on his.

Despite it being the middle of the day, Natasha ordered a glass of zinfandel because she needed it in this particular situation, and watched in very real annoyance as Sharon gingerly ordered a salad (typical) with no dressing, no tomatoes and no soul as far as Natasha was concerned. Steve insisted Natasha order before him and she chose chicken parmagiana with a side of spaghetti, and an appetizer of gnocchi for the table.

“Oh, you’re so brave!” Sharon gushed when the waitress had left them—an insult, no doubt about it, to the food Natasha had chosen. “All those carbs. I hope you have a good trainer.” Natasha wanted to punch her face off, but she remained calm.

“Actually, I work out on my own,” she said easily. She didn’t need a personal trainer, okay? She had more than enough discipline to do it all on her own. “Yoga, kickboxing, running, and martial arts. Mostly capoeira, but I’ve dabbled in karate. I guess you could count ballet as well, though that’s more of a hobby than anything else.”

Ha! The look on Sharon’s face was met with an overly sweet smile as Natasha took a sip of her wine and turned to Steve, idly sliding her hand over his on the table. “We just love going running together, don’t we?” Steve nodded quickly, though the look in his eyes was just this side of totally stunned. Natasha counted that as a win in her favor.

“So,” Sharon ventured primly. “How did you two get together?”

Ah, she’d known it was coming, but Natasha hadn’t quite fleshed out the whole thing. She decided that she’d just go with it and hope. “Well,” she started. “I noticed Steve giving me these shy little looks all the time. At first, I just kind of brushed them off, but eventually I started really liking how he blushed whenever I bent over or smiled at him, so I took it upon myself to bring him lunch one day and sat in his office to chat. Things just clicked and we've been together ever since.”

Natasha figured the way to go was to make it simple. If it was simple, and nothing special, there was no way Sharon would question it. “That’s sweet,” she answered predictably, sipping her water. “I myself have been seeing someone on Wall Street. He’s a very successful stockbroker.” Well, she had to begin the bragging sometime- there had been a reason for her invitation to lunch after all. She wanted to gloat. Well, too bad. Maybe Natasha wasn’t a ‘very successful stockbroker’, but she was definitely worth something. It was all about a pissing contest. When there was a breakup, especially one that was as bad as this one, it was pretty natural for both sides to want the upper hand. Pride and all that.

“I dated a guy in stocks a few years ago. It must be hell on your sex life. One day they’re up and everything’s fine and the next day, they want nothing to do with anyone.” A subtle dig, but a dig nonetheless. Natasha could play this game. Sharon’s lips pressed together and she calmly set down her drink, but there was no doubt that what Natasha had said was true.

“Not at all,” she protested anyway, cool as a cucumber. Natasha gave her mental props for keeping her temper in check.

Their food arrived and Natasha dug right in, more than happy to admit that for what she was doing, Steve owed her lunches from at least three four-star establishments like this one. “You’re not saying much, Stevie,” she heard Sharon coo, interrupting the blond man—who was already three big mouthfuls into his own pasta.

Natasha glanced at him and tried to mentally give him the right words to say, but what she got was—“Well, what’s left to say?” he shrugged. “I’ve got a great girl here, and she’s nice enough to do all the talking for me. Congrats, though. On your stockbroker.”

He was inwardly burning with envy because she actually had someone and he didn’t, but that was hardly the point. Natasha remained right in her role, wiping her mouth before leaning over to Steve with a hand braced on his (impressive, she had to admit) bicep. “That deserves a kiss, I think,” she teased, pecking his cheek before going right back to eating her lunch with some gusto. She was not, by any means, one of those I’ll-pretend-a-bowl-of-grass-fills-me-up-because-I’m-watching-my-figure kind of girls. And that was especially when she was on someone else’s dime.

The remainder of their lunch was more than a little awkward. Natasha let Sharon talk to Steve about things that had nothing to do with her- the arrangements of their divorce, certain familial obligations they had been invited to that she would no longer be attending. She made sure, Natasha noted, to bring up her new boyfriend exactly eleven more times over the course of their meal. Each time she did, the redhead made sure to either touch Steve's hand or lean against him or look at him and smile in the way that a new girlfriend would.

Poor Steve. She did actually feel bad for him, sitting there listening to Sharon gush about her new guy while he was basically paying Natasha to pretend. Why didn't he have a new girlfriend, anyway? He was handsome, smart, sweet, successful... There was no reason why he was alone. Eventually, they were offered dessert and Sharon declined, but Natasha piped right up. “I'll have the tiramisu,” she said bluntly, glancing at Steve like he might challenge her. But she got a surprisingly fond smile in return and Steve looked back to the waitress, asking for the same, and some coffee.

It was still a bad idea. No matter how nice this was, Natasha knew it was a terrible idea. She couldn't want her boss-- any more than she already did. It just wasn't a good idea. She liked her job, just the way it was. “You two seem very cozy,” Sharon ventured tightly, still sipping at her water. Natasha was all of a sudden feeling very protective, due to the predatory tone, and slipped her arm through Steve's, scooting her chair closer.

“Well, you know what he's like,” she returned. “Why wouldn't I want to be cozy with him?” It was getting dangerous now. She could feel the way Sharon was sizing her up. Maybe they'd separated, but Steve was with her first and Natasha knew that she would forever be viewed as some kind of... competition, somehow.

The hum of laughter she got in return made her blood boil. “Not everything is as perfect as it seems, I'm afraid,” she said, talking down to Natasha like she was too ignorant to already know that. “Just make sure you keep him in line or he gets real difficult to deal with, don't you, Stevie?”

Natasha wasn't even sure why it got to her as much as it did. It wasn't like she was in love with Steve, but to hear her referring to him like that? She hated it. “Oh,” she answered, giving the other woman a confident, rather suggestive smirk. “He's been a very good boy lately. I'm sure Steve's got several reasons to keep me very happy.” She bit her lip and looked up to him, kissing his jaw. “Don't you?”

Steve gulped and nodded quickly, turning to look down at her. And she wasn't done. Nope. Natasha reached up and brushed her thumb over his plump lower lip before leaning up and slotting their lips together-- both for her own enjoyment and the horror that played out over Sharon's face. Because this, as far as anyone was concerned, cemented their little act. Natasha refused to admit, even to herself, that she was enjoying it as much as she did. When they parted, he nearly chased her and she had to smirk, turning her gaze back to Sharon and giving her an openly satisfied look. 'He's mine now', she tried to get across. 'Back off.'

But that kiss was still on her mind. Steve's lips were soft and gentle, and the way his hand had automatically slid over to rest on her thigh was something Natasha could definitely get used to. Based on the look they shared a moment later, she was sure it was still on his mind too. Steve looked vaguely like he wanted to test the boundaries of acceptable public displays of affection.

Dessert was spent in relative silence, but Natasha felt like she was a winner. Once Steve had paid, she slipped her hand into his again and didn't let go, even when he leaned down to kiss Sharon's cheeks and say goodbye. They headed in opposite directions and only when they were down the block and around the corner did Natasha drop Steve's hand from hers, subtly moving so they were a respectable distance apart. “Well,” she commented. “That was interesting.”

Steve didn't respond at first, just nodding along and slipping his hands into his pockets as they headed back to work. A moment later, though, he decided to open his mouth and end the slightly uncomfortable silence. “You, uh.. You're a good actress. Ever thought about getting into that?”

Natasha slowly turned to look at him. Really? That was what he thought would be the right thing to say? “No,” she answered. “I haven't.”

“You should,” he countered. Another long pause and before she knew it, they were back in their building and making their way up to the proper floor in the elevator. Finally, he continued. “For a few seconds there, it felt like you were actually having fun pretending to be with me.” Luckily for him, the doors opened and he practically bolted, heading right into his office and closing the door, probably to avoid the remark already forming on her lips.

The problem was that as... tempting as Steve was, Natasha had no wants to risk her job for a good fuck. She'd been down that road before and this particular position was really suited to her. Working for Steve meant that she actually liked coming to work, that she could afford the kind of lifestyle she wanted and didn't have to spin around on a pole to do so. She couldn't put that into jeopardy.

“Ms. Spence is expecting you at four,” she announced when she marched into his office after a curt knock on his door. “She needs the totals from last month, along with all your receipts for refunds, which I’ve put in your desk drawer already. Make sure you take them with you.” Glancing down at the list in her hands, she made a mental note to spend the next day rescheduling appointments for him. “After her, you can go home. Come in tomorrow ready for meetings because you have three to make up for. Is there anything else?”

Natasha finally looked up and locked eyes with him, perfectly professional and patiently waiting for whatever it was he might need from her. Steve looked kind of uncertain; his shoulders slumped in a way she hadn’t seen since back when he’d admitted to her that Sharon had filed for a divorce. “No,” he sighed. “That’ll be all, Natasha. Thank you.”

So that was how it was going to be. Fine. Natasha turned on her heel and left, planting herself in front of her computer to see if she could reschedule those appointments now and leave her morning open to other things. At four, Steve scampered out to his meeting with Ms. Spence and returned half an hour later, heading right back into his office without a word to Natasha. It was uncharacteristically rude of him and she hated it because it felt like she was a day away from getting a notice of termination and she _liked_ her job.

All because she had to go and flirt a little too much. Maybe she was really the slut people said she was. She waited just a half an hour more before pulling on her cardigan and poking her head into his office again. “Good night, Mr. Rogers,” she said politely, earning a startled look and a small smile.

“Good night, Natasha. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Yes, he would. And she wouldn’t go down without a fight. He had no grounds to fire her. That night, she enjoyed perhaps a little too much wine and ate Chinese takeout in front of the television, getting lost in reruns of Friends instead of actually thinking about how nice it had been to be next to Steve that way. She wasn’t really a romantic at heart, but there was something pleasant about the idea that he might have enjoyed it too, that he might have… liked… having her touching his arm or holding his hand. She fell asleep thinking, with some pride, about the fact that he had definitely returned her kiss and did her very best to imagine that it was because he wanted to, not because he wanted to gloat in front of Sharon.

There was a part of her that wanted to see it through. Natasha couldn’t deny that she’d been lusting after Steve for a while now and he clearly liked her on a physical level, at least. Maybe if they got it out of their system, things would be even better. Yeah, that was definitely logical and not at all motivated by the fact that she'd spent more than one lonely night thinking about Steve's sinfully narrow hips with her hand between her legs. She thought about his strong arms, his lips curling into a predatory grin... She thought about the huge, oak desk he sat behind each and every day... and the fact that there was more than enough room for her to kneel beneath it without anyone else seeing her. But if she was going to seduce her boss, there was something standing between them. She’d take care of that first, and then she’d see if she could get what she wanted the old-fashioned way.

Natasha showed up to work the next day dressed to impress, not that she ever wanted to give off the impression that she was dressing for her boss. She decided on a dress; deep purple with a tight skirt that hugged her curves, a black belt to show off her tiny waist and a neckline that would have Steve stammering the minute he saw her. She wasn’t stupid- she knew how he looked at her sometimes. Along with her dress, she chose a pair of black peep-toe heels to make the most of her legs. Pulling on a black cardigan at the last second, she made the decision to keep her hair down and headed out, arriving at 7:15 like she always did, about forty-five minutes before Steve was expected to get there.

By quarter to eight, she had his coffee (light and sweet) and a bagel (poppy, lightly toasted, with cream cheese) on his desk, and she was perched on the edge of her own to await any instructions he might have that morning. As soon as he walked in, she gave him a smile and pushed herself up. “Good morning, sir,” she greeted, catching the way he swallowed and looked her over before heading into his office—with her on his heels. “You have three meetings this morning, with the head of finance, the head of design, and an insurance broker. The reports are already on your desk and I hope you’re feeling up to it, because you also have a video conference call with Japan in the afternoon.”

He looked tired. She wondered whether or not he slept anymore, or if he was lonely. She wondered if he couldn't sleep, or just chose not to. Natasha stopped in front of his desk as usual, one hip jutting out as she ticked off his duties for the day and covertly watched him take off his jacket and sit down. “Good morning to you too,” he sighed, looking up at her. “Look, Nat…”

She cut him off. “Also,” she announced. “I wanted to give you this.” She placed a check on the desk—repayment for their lunch the day before and several meals prior to that. “I can pay for myself.”

It wasn’t that she wouldn’t have accepted it on better terms, but it felt like something had shifted here and Natasha didn’t like the idea that Steve was beginning to see her like… well, like a lot of the other people in this place saw her. Giving him a look that dared him to challenge her, she pressed her lips together for a moment and straightened her shoulders defiantly. “Will that be all?”

Steve glanced at the check and he had the sheer audacity to look almost hurt by her gesture. Natasha didn’t understand why. “I…Yes, Natasha. That will be all. Thank you.”

Good. Now that he’d accepted the repayment, they were on equal footing again and Natasha wouldn’t feel bad about finding out just how much he liked the way she looked. Maybe it would fuck up their professional relationship and maybe inter-office romances (though the kind of thing she had in mind would only fit a very broad definition of a romance) were kind of frowned upon, but Steve, as much as she hated to admit it, was worth the risk. Plus, she had a feeling that someone as high up on the totem pole as he was would have enough pull to keep her job safe. He wasn't a bastard. He wouldn't fuck her and turn his back.

The morning went smoothly. Aside from a rude caller who insisted he get an appointment with Steve that day and was refused with a cold tone Natasha reserved for people who wouldn’t get an appointment until she was no longer Steve’s secretary, there was no drama, there were no emergencies, there was nothing that would prevent the redhead from going through with her plan. It didn’t hurt that Steve happened to look exceptionally handsome that day, all dressed in a dark blue suit that showed off the no doubt impressive body beneath it.

For lunch that day, Natasha decided that he would have sushi. She’d been the first one to introduce him to it, after all, so it was appropriate. She ordered for them both, set up his plate and carried it in, slipping around to his side of the desk to pour the soy sauce—and give him a view. Never having been a very subtle man, he was still kind of staring when she straightened up and gave him a knowing smirk. “Enjoy,” she said sweetly, looking him up and down for a moment before using her hips to her advantage as she strutted out of his office to enjoy her own lunch.

He’d call her back in as soon as his brain caught up with the rest of his body, she was sure. Natasha calmly ate her lunch, one piece and a time, plus a bottle of water, glancing at the clock every few minutes. Twenty minutes and she started counting down. Twenty-four minutes and she smirked to herself. Five, four, three, two…

“Natasha?”

Right on time.

“Could you come in here, please?”

“Yes, sir.”

Straightening out her dress, she fluffed her curls a little bit and headed into his office, heels clicking along the way. “Was there something you needed, sir?” she asked, closing the door behind her and covertly locking it- she had no intention of leaving right away, after all.

“Uh, yes. Could you—Have a seat, please.” He gestured to one of the chairs in front of his desk and Natasha completely ignored them, heading around his desk and perching on the edge, crossing one leg over the other at the knee. Steve, poor Steve, just blinked and swallowed, leaning back in favor of rubbing his palms over his thighs. “I thought we should talk about yesterday. About...that kiss.”

Wonderful. He gave her the opening she needed to make damn sure that he'd liked that kiss, because she needed to be sure before she did anything else. If Steve didn't want this, it was going to be far too awkward for her to continue working there. “If this is your way of telling me I’m a bad kisser…” she mused smoothly, leaning back a little and planting her hands on his desk behind her.

“No!” he protested immediately. “No, no, that’s not it at all. You’re a really good kisser. I mean, your lips are really s-soft and you tasted like wine, and I like wine.” Poor guy. Natasha watched him for a few minutes while he rambled on, eventually rubbing at the back of his neck again. She was thoroughly amused, but they only had so long before someone would come looking for them, so she decided to interrupt as obviously as she could.

Slipping off his desk, Natasha stood for a moment and took advantage of his flustered state to take her place on his lap, sitting sideways like the day before. He went silent as she let her arms fall around his neck and met his gaze. “You’re a really good kisser too,” she said plainly. “In fact, I think I'd like to see if it was just a fluke."

Steve looked bewildered, but Natasha leaned forward and pressed their lips together anyway, counting on him to react and let her know that this was okay. It was. She knew based on the way one of his big hands settled on her thigh, the other at her back to keep her balanced, and on the way he kissed back, parting his lips when she urged him to and groaning into her mouth. Steve tasted vaguely like soy sauce and coffee—an interesting mix she didn’t mind in the slightest, especially given the way he was kissing her.

It didn’t take long for it to get a lot more heated. Natasha set a hand on his jaw to keep him focused and found herself gasping within no time because he surprised her and took control, dipping his head down to mouth along her neck and further along to the tops of her breasts, her fingers slipping into his hair as he picked her up and set her down on the edge of his desk again. Hiking her skirt up with both hands, Natasha set about undoing the buttons on his shirt, kissing down the length of his torso and cupping the bulge in his pants when she got to it. She relished the groan he let out in response and wondered… Was she the first woman he’d been with since Sharon? The thought made her even more excited about this whole thing.

Tugging him down to her, Natasha met his lips in a sloppy kiss and deftly worked on his belt, getting it open with a whine of impatience and shoving his pants over his hips so she could stroke him properly. “Shit, Natasha…” She didn’t know why, but there was something about hearing Steve swear, something about hearing him say her name like she was the answer to every dirty fantasy he’d ever had, that really took this to the next level. All of a sudden, she was in a rush and she didn’t care how needy or wanton she looked.

Hiking her skirt up a little more, she kissed him hard and spread her legs, revealing the scrap of black fabric serving as her panties. “Over your desk,” she murmured against his lips, raking her nails down the length of his torso—a torso she really wished she had more time to explore. “Okay? Fuck me over your desk.”

Steve surprised her again, bodily turning her over and gripping her hips tight, pulling her back against him while he rutted against her for a few moments, further hiking her skirt up to give her room. She spread her legs willingly, feet planted on the floor and thankful for her heels because otherwise she was sure she’d be too short for this. “Come on,” she urged, cheek pressed against the cool wood of his desk. “Steve, fuck me.”

Maybe it was the use of his name. Maybe it was the filthy way she asked for more. Whatever it was, though, Steve slipped his fingers under the band of her panties and Natasha heard a distinct rip while he pulled them down and out of the way, leaving them hanging around one ankle while he cupped her ass, squeezing none too gently and spreading her open. “You wanted this bad, huh?” she continued, huffing against the desk as his fingers found their way between her legs and pressed against her, earning a low whine. “Tell me how much you thought about it.”

“Every—“ He grunted as he slipped an arm around her waist and pressed against her, rolling his hips and earning a sharp cry from Natasha, who was actually making an attempt to muffle herself. They were still in the office, after all. “Every time you bent over,” he muttered, leaning down to speak against her shoulder, his voice deeper than she’d ever heard it before. “Every time you gave me that fucking little smirk of yours.” She could feel his hot length pressed against her and every time he moved, a spike of pleasure shot through her. She wanted more already. “And yesterday,” he continued, punctuating his words with pointed rolls of his hips. “You were so fucking sexy, showing off like that.”

No more hesitation. Natasha slipped her fingers into her bra and pulled out the condom she'd stashed there, holding it up for him without comment—until he paused, and she glanced back. “Tell me you know how to use one,” she huffed, arching an eyebrow at him. He growled—growled! —And grabbed the condom, stepping back to presumably roll it on before he was pressing right into her. Natasha’s hands found the edge of the desk and she moaned openly as he filled her, his hands bracketing her waist as he bottomed out.

They were both panting, she realized, and Natasha took a second to remember that there was no turning back now. They’d crossed so many lines, they only had two options; fuck on a regular basis or terminate their professional relationship. It was that simple. As he pulled back and slammed into her, one hand moving up to cover her mouth because she let out quite the vocal moan, she already knew that working around him without thinking about this moment was going to be impossible.

And so, panting against her boss’ palm and eagerly trying to press back against his hard thrusts, Natasha knew what she had to do. She had to become the office slut for real. She was going to be the secretary that fucks her boss. Steve moaned her name against her shoulder and Natasha could feel the edge of the desk digging into her thighs… He slipped his free arm around her waist and the moment his fingers met her clit, swollen and just begging for the rough attention he was giving her, she decided that she really didn’t care. They could give her a scarlet A if they wanted to and she’d wear it with pride as long as Steve kept this up.

“Fuck, Steve, yes,” she got out, back arching as she moved closer and closer to one hell of a memorable orgasm. “That’s it. Keep going, harder…” For such a sweet guy, he was kind of an animal in bed—just the way she liked them. It was always the quiet ones. When Natasha did come at last, crying out against Steve’s palm, her legs nearly gave out and all that kept her up was Steve’s arm, secure and strong around her waist. And he kept going, moving both hands to her hips as he sought out his own release, finding it a moment later and gripping her hips hard enough to bruise as he filled the condom and slowly came to a stop.

It would seem that the weight of what they’d just done hit him, but Natasha didn’t feel guilty at all. Once Steve had pulled out of her, she turned around and allowed him to pull her onto admittedly wobbly legs, leaning up at once to kiss him slow and sensually—a promise for more. “You ripped my panties,” she teased against his mouth, turning her eyes up to him. “I liked those panties.”

Steve smirked and glanced down between them, where the black fabric was still pooled around her left ankle. Clearly trying not to smile too widely, he slid his arms around her waist and cupped her ass, squeezing lightly. “If I buy you more, can I rip those off too?”

Natasha found herself laughing, rolling her eyes at his stupid joke and shimmying her skirt back down over her hips while he righted his pants. Bending down, she plucked the panties off the heel of her shoe and leaned close to him, slipping them right into the pocket of his pants as a token—something to remember her by. “Yes,” she answered cheekily. “Yes, you can.”

He leaned in to kiss her again, but she pressed two fingers against his lips and slipped away instead, giving him a knowing grin. “You have a conference call with Tokyo in twenty minutes,” she said easily. “I suggest you wipe that smile off your face.” Moving her fingers away, she leaned in and pecked his lips. “Sir.” With that, she winked at him and turned, making her way back out of the office. If she had her way, that wouldn’t be the last time they challenged the soundproofing of those walls, or the integrity of his desk.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been nearly six full months since Natasha had made the brilliant decision to go along with Steve’s half-cocked plan to fool his ex. They had spent the last year getting to know one another in a host of ways, most of which involved removing one or more articles of clothing. Still, although they’d certainly spent enough time with their clothes off, the fire never really seemed to burn out. The rest of the office was suspicious of their relationship, but since Steve was so high up and Natasha’s work spoke for itself, no one seemed to mind all that much. It was the principle of ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’, but in the best possible way. So, yes, Natasha still got Steve his lunch and made all his appointments and took his orders—but she also took her lunch breaks in his office. Sometimes her lunch breaks didn’t involve any food, but as long as everyone got what they needed, they had no reason to say anything.

They were lucky that way, she supposed. If they had been at a different company or if Steve hadn’t been as powerful as he was, Natasha would have probably lost her job- and all because she had a predilection for her boss’ cock and all the wonderful things it did for her. They’d even managed to spite Sharon a little bit more in the form of attending her wedding together. She had made the mistake of inviting Steve, probably under the assumption that he wouldn’t come. But he did. Steve came and brought Natasha with him- Natasha, who’d spent far too much securing the _perfectly_ understated dress to wear and happened to look fantastic in it, thank you very much.

Natasha caught herself reflecting on how lucky she was during today’s lunch break, her arms braced against the thick floor to ceiling glass decorating one wall of his office, her skirt pushed up to her hips, panties destroyed, and Steve’s hands digging bruises into the meat of her hips.

They’d thoroughly tested Steve’s desk by this point. In fact, they’d tested it to the point where there was both a very noticeable crack from one memorable time when Steve had gone through a bad business call and taken it out on a very willing Natasha, and a scratch from a particularly sharp heel Natasha had neglected to remove before they’d gone at it. Natasha was pretty sure Steve had fucked her against and/or on every surface he possibly could, but he was definitely showing a clear preference for the windows. Who knew Mr. Vanilla had some kind of exhibitionist complex?

“Better hurry up—Ah, _sir_ ,” she panted, spreading her legs a little more. “Don’t want anyone walking in on us.”

Steve groaned—It was the ‘sir’ thing, which Natasha had discovered just a couple of weeks after this whole thing started thanks to a night spent at his place wherein she donned one of his button downs and absolutely nothing else. That poor shirt hadn’t known what was coming. Natasha actually took quite a bit of pleasure in teasing the ever living fuck out of the poor guy. He had a particular weakness for her legs, which just meant she showed them off a lot, whether that be in skirts that accentuated her hips or sky high heels that had him thinking about how good she'd look without the aforementioned skirts. She suspected a light foot fetish, to be honest.

But right now, while he was balls deep inside her with his pants around his ankles and his shirt only haphazardly unbuttoned, she really couldn’t focus on latent fetishes. She heard him swear under his breath and just like that, she knew he was almost there. One arm wrapped around her waist and he rutted into her as hard as he could, pressing her forward until Natasha was balancing on just her toes, fingers scrambling for purchase on the glass. When he came, Natasha shuddered like she always did. She’d taken to the pill a long time ago simply for opportunities like these, when they were both too lazy to get a condom and he liked pulling out to see his own seed leaking out of her.

Natasha didn’t bother pushing herself up at this point. When he pulled out, she just bent even further at the waist and spread her legs a bit wider, wiggling her hips in the process. Steve dropped to his knees like she knew he would, burying his face right between her legs and immediately honing in on her clit like he was born to be there. “Fuck,” she gasped, making some awful high pitched sound she would forever deny actually came from her. “ _Yeah_ —“

As always, Steve managed to get her off more efficiently than she’d realized was even possible. By the time she was pulsing against his tongue, her thighs trembling, Natasha was also once again finding it impossible to find fault with their relationship. No, they were not the traditional couple, but who wanted traditional when they could have intense sex and food?

Straightening up on shaky legs, she turned around and fell against him just as he got to his feet, draping her arms over his shoulders for a kiss. “Mm. Make sure you have one of those mints I got you,” she murmured. “We don’t want anyone to know where your mouth has been.”

“Speak for yourself,” he quipped. “Maybe I want everyone to know.”

Natasha raised her eyebrows at him. “Oh?”

Steve blushed and ducked his head a little bit, one hand automatically going to the back of his neck in that ‘aw, shucks’ move that Natasha would never, ever admit to adoring. “Well, maybe,” he admitted with a little shrug. “Would _you_ want everyone to know?”

Wait, he wasn’t joking. “You know that would probably cost me my job, right?”

“Well, yeah, but I’ve actually been thinking that maybe you could just switch jobs with someone else. I’m sure Wanda or Pepper or Darcy would be happy to switch with you, and then we could date publicly…”

He really had been thinking about this, huh? Natasha didn’t know whether she should feel flattered or kind of panicked. “You think they’d just switch like that?” She countered. “I’m pretty sure Pepper and Tony are attached at the hip. Wanda’s not letting her desk go either.” She paused for a second and tilted her head to the side because Darcy might be able to be reasoned with. She loved Thor, but she might be persuaded to sit with Steve instead if she knew that Natasha was taking care of Thor…

“Since when do you want to go public?” She continued, keeping that to herself for the moment. “I thought you were happy with the way things are.”

Steve had the decency to look rather sheepish, his cheeks flushing even as he averted his gaze for a moment. “I am happy,” he said. “But you know, I’d like to take things to another level and we can’t do that if no one at work can know---“

She cut him off with a quick kiss. “I’ll see what I can do,” she told him. “Okay?”

Nodding quickly, Steve wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up for another kiss. Unfortunately, after that they had to actually get back to work. Natasha would sneak little bites of her sandwich over the course of the next half an hour and Steve would try to focus on his work instead of the intense desire to get Natasha back into his office for more fun.

Days passed and Natasha spent a healthy amount of time really considering what Steve had said. She supposed that going public wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. She cared about him and that thing he said about taking things to ‘another level’ was very interesting. She wanted to know what he meant.

Out of curiosity, she asked Darcy out for lunch and they chatted about everything they could before the other woman brought up the obvious question.

“No offense, Natasha, but is there a reason you asked me to lunch?”

Natasha frowned. “Can’t I just want to have lunch with a woman of similar intelligence and humor?”

She smiled, but Darcy knew better. “No. Spill.”

Right. “How attached are you to being Thor’s assistant?”

Darcy raised her eyebrows in surprise and sat back a little, her glass of water in hand. “Have you met Thor?” She countered. “I don’t think it’s possible to speak to him and not be a little attached, and I’ve been working for him for three years.”

Good point, but Natasha was fairly sure that Thor wasn’t sleeping with Darcy- not with that boyfriend of his coming around all the time. Some thought the guy was trouble, but Natasha generally appreciated his witty comebacks and conversation. He had the best tips for clothing sales around the city and she had him to thank for several amazing pairs of shoes in her collection.

“Fair enough,” she answered. “But do you think you could be happy working for someone else? I could take your position and that way, you’d know he was taken care of. And I’d know that Steve was taken care of.” Natasha wouldn’t say it outright, but she did trust Darcy not to move in on Steve as well- and she trusted Steve not to stray, but still. It would be stupid to get someone like Amora, the woman in Marketing who desperately flirted with Thor every chance she got, on his desk.

Darcy looked like she was trying to figure out the reasoning behind all of this and Natasha kept her face carefully blank, but that didn’t seem to matter. “You’re fucking him, aren’t you?”

Natasha felt her cheeks darken a little bit. “What? Where did you—“

“It’s all over the office, my friend,” she laughed. “People suspect, anyway. You lucky girl, you.”

Well, at least it wouldn’t come as a shock to anyone. “So, what are you suggesting? We just switch jobs and hope no one notices? I’m pretty sure Thor will notice if you’re the one who walks into his office on Monday.”

Natasha had thought about it and it wouldn’t make sense for either of them to make a complaint and therefore _necessitate_ a transfer, but they could request one. She could request a transfer and Darcy could do the same- and if Natasha had any friends in HR, she could get it done. It just so happened that she did have a friend in HR because she was a smart woman who didn’t burn bridges she knew might be useful later on. “We request transfers,” she explained. “And I’ll take care of it from there.”

Darcy took a long sip of her water and watched Natasha for a moment, seemingly considering the offer. Everyone knew that working with Steve was a cakewalk- he was sweet and organized, temperate and not too demanding. Thor, in contrast, was just a big personality who needed someone equally as bold to balance him out- he got that in the form of his boyfriend at home, but he needed an assistant to balance him as well. “You’re sure you can handle Thor?” She wondered. “He’s a lot louder than Steve is.”

Pressing her lips together, Natasha smirked. “Steve can get pretty loud,” she deadpanned. “I think I’ll be okay.”

Well, that just won Darcy over. “Alright,” she agreed. “You’ve got yourself a deal.”

Details were discussed and with promises to pass appointment books and the like over wine at Darcy’s apartment on Sunday, they headed back to work. Natasha also asked Darcy not to tell anyone but Thor, and to ask him to keep it a secret. She wanted to surprise Steve when it took effect.

Days passed. Steve remained his sweet self during most of the workday and regularly turned into a total perv in the evenings and on several lunch breaks. Natasha took three separate meetings that week after her exchange with Darcy; one with her contact in HR, one with Darcy _and_ her contact, and one with Thor.

Thor was a big man- easily a couple of inches taller than Steve and at least twenty pounds (of pure muscle) heavier- but he had this huge smile and a deep, booming laugh—He was more like Santa than Natasha realized, except more devastatingly handsome. Loki was a lucky guy. He did express a bit of worry over the idea of losing Darcy, but Natasha assured him that she could take care of everything and by the end of the meeting, he’d agreed.

The next weekend, they met up again to discuss what their respective bosses liked as far as food, coffee, appointments, and the like. Both took notes, both revealed the most annoying things about each man; in Thor’s case, it was his habit of running off at a moment’s notice and in Steve’s, it was his forgetfulness. He’d forget his head if it wasn’t attached to his shoulders. And that Monday, everything went into effect.

They still hadn’t told Steve. Darcy showed up to work and took her seat at Natasha’s old desk, while Natasha positioned herself near Thor’s office instead. The first hour of work went just fine. Near ten, when Steve was set to arrive, Natasha let herself into his office and took a seat in his chair, where she leaned back and propped her feet up on his desk. She’d worn a dress that day and her legs remained on display, but she’d also ditched her shoes near the couch on the other side of his office because this wasn’t about being his pretty little secretary. This was about being his girlfriend.

When Steve arrived, she could hear him asking Darcy what she was doing there and smiled as Darcy answered that he’d find all the explanation he needed right inside his office. Of course, the look on Steve’s face when he walked in was priceless and he shut the door almost as an afterthought, setting his things down on a chair as he made his way over to her. “Tell me you’re still working here somewhere.”

Natasha smiled and nodded. “I took Thor’s desk.”

Steve let out a sigh of relief and sat on the edge of his desk, right beside Natasha’s stocking-clad feet. He slid one hand onto her ankle out of instinct, his thumb brushing over the glossy fabric. “So, does this mean---“

“It means,” she interrupted, standing up and draping her arms over his shoulders. “That you can take me home tonight.” Natasha leaned up to steal a brief kiss. “And you can do so in front of everyone else.”

God, he looked so happy. Steve grinned and swooped down for another kiss, even smiling against her lips for a few moments. “I’ll miss seeing you all day,” he told her, letting his hands slid down to lightly squeeze her ass. “I’ll _really_ miss that.”

Natasha rolled her eyes. “Darcy’s got a pretty nice ass,” she commented. “Feel free to look, but not touch.”

Steve chuckled, but he also managed to say the perfect thing a second later. “I’m not interested in anyone else,” he said. “Just you. Me and Thor might get to be pretty good friends if I’m always over there…”

“Don’t give Darcy a hard time,” she admonished, shaking her head fondly. “Besides, there’s always lunchtime.” She leaned up again, nipping at his earlobe. “I might have worn something special today.”

Raising his eyebrows, Steve glanced down like he could ascertain the special thing she’d worn _through_ her clothing. “Oh, that’s just not fair,” he whined. “C’mon. Give me a little hint.”

Natasha smirked and reached back for his hands, pushing them down over her ass to where he could feel the buckles of her garter belt. Steve made a weird sound and she felt all too proud that he would probably be desperate for it by the time lunch rolled around, let alone the end of the day. Unfortunately for Steve, she had more than one surprise in mind and he’d be severely suffering by the time five o’clock came.

The rest of the morning passed in a flash. Thor had a few meetings and one rather long phone call with Loki, who tipped Natasha off about a sale on boots, but soon enough it was lunchtime and Thor headed out as usual. For her part, Natasha waited until Darcy headed out to make her way into Steve’s office and sit with him, her shoes once again abandoned near the door.

They talked. Steve looked appropriately confused by the lack of sex, but he seemed to accept it and they enjoyed their meals regardless. Natasha pecked him chastely on the lips on her way out, and that was all. He’d have to wait until later to get any more than that, but he didn’t know that yet.

Again, the afternoon passed quickly, though Natasha was getting more and more excited as time went on. At half past four, Thor sauntered his way out and told her she’d done a good job and that this would work out just fine. Then he went home and she cleaned up because just a couple of minutes later, she was making her way over to Steve’s office again.

“And there you are,” Darcy said. “You know, I think you’ve had it easy. Steve’s a doll.”

“Yeah, he’s a doll alright,” Natasha quipped, hiking her skirt up to adjust her garters- no one else was there, so it wasn’t like she’d be seen. “Just wait until he’d frazzled because of a big meeting or something. He’ll drive you crazy.”

Darcy pouted. “I’d say to watch out for Loki’s conjugal visits, but I have a feeling you won’t mind.”

Natasha smirked and smoothed her skirt out again to make sure she was ready for this. “You’re right about that,” she answered. “Let them have their fun.” She glanced at the door and couldn’t quite help her smile, which just made Darcy give her a knowing look. “You can go home now, by the way,” she added, giving the brunette a brief glance. “Thank you.”

Darcy got up right away. “You don’t have to tell me twice,” she said quickly, grabbing her things. “Have fun!”

As she left, Natasha made her way into Steve’s office to surprise him and locked the door behind her. He looked up from his computer right away, did a double take, and finally focused in on her with a big smile. “How’d it go today?” He asked, leaning back.

Natasha wandered around the desk to sit on the edge facing him. “It was fine. Thor’s a nice guy.”

Steve frowned. “But not too nice, right? Because if he even looks at you wrong, I’m gonna—“

“You’re gonna do what?” She challenged, sliding over so she was right in front of him, her arms crossed under her bust. “I really don’t think you have anything to worry about. You know he’s got a boyfriend.”

“Yeah, well---“ Steve frowned even further, leaning forward and bodily pulling Natasha onto his lap. “Still and all. He better treat you right over there.”

Ah, yes. Her big, brave champion. Natasha laughed and leaned into him, her legs delicately crossed at the knee just to give him the full effect. “You know,” she mused, brushing her fingers through his hair. “I’ve been thinking about this all day.”

Steve perked up, one hand drifting over her thigh and further down to toy with the hem of her skirt. “Yeah? Can’t say I’ve been thinking about much else either.”

Success. “Oh? What exactly have you been thinking about, hm?”

He smirked a little bit and slid her off his lap to her feet so he could stand up as well. As she watched in vague horror considering she’d been looking forward to riding him in his chair or something, Steve packed his stuff up, grabbed his coat—and took her hand. “This,” he shrugged. “Let’s get your stuff.”

Natasha led him back out, where she grabbed her purse and her coat off Darcy’s desk. Steve held the coat up for her and she stepped into it, tying the belt around her waist in silence. And then he just took her hand again and pulled her towards the elevator, hitting the button to go down.

It was perhaps when they got to the lobby that she realized what he meant. Steve wanted to walk out with her, with their fingers laced together between them. What a dork.

When they got to his car, Natasha went ahead and pushed him back against it, leaning up for a long kiss and tugging his lower lip between her teeth for a moment. “Are you taking me home?” She murmured.

“I am,” he nodded. “Back to your place.” Pause, and then a smirk. “So you can pack a bag and sleep at mine.”

Natasha’s eyebrow twitched up and she pressed her lips together. “Joke’s on you,” she countered, opening her door and slipping into the passenger seat. “I’ve already got a bag packed.”

That night was the first of many nights where Natasha debuted her new set of lingerie in front of a very captive audience- meaning Steve, half naked and sprawled out on his king size bed to receive her. She’d chosen all black for the occasion; bra, panties, garters, and stockings. But the highlight was really the shoes she’d selected that day. Gorgeous Armani pumps that showed off her legs to a ridiculous extent (courtesy of a tip from Loki, thank you very much) rounded off the outfit and had Steve dragging his eyes up and down her body.

By the time she was crawling up the bed to straddle him, he looked like he was going to cry or something. Natasha took that as a sign that she’d succeeded in her little seduction.

That night, it felt very much like Steve was unwilling to let the evening end. They started out with her on top, panties ripped on the floor beside the bed, progressed to doggy style wherein Steve managed to make her come for the first time that night, and wound up in missionary with Natasha’s fingers gripping his headboard and Steve’s big hands bracketing her waist for leverage while he fucked into her. Release #2 was strong enough to earn her heels on his chest to push him back.

Natasha congratulated him in a shaky voice for holding on so long and Steve chuckled as he landed on the bed beside her, one hand supporting his head. “I’ll take care of you in a second,” she shivered, but Steve kind of shook his head.

“Take your time,” he mumbled, pulling her close and leaning in for a kiss- for a series of kisses, really. For a while, they just touched and kissed and Natasha did eventually slip her hand down to stroke him because first of all, he’d been very patient and second of all, she was ready for another round. They wound up spooning right there where they were and Steve lifted Natasha’s leg so he could press back inside her.

It took them a few minutes to find the right rhythm, but Steve eventually worked up a steady pace and Natasha arched her back, hooking her leg loosely around his hip to give him a different angle. It was still so good that way, especially with Steve’s lips on her neck and his moans right in her ear, but Natasha wanted to see him come this time- she’d missed it the last time they did this.

Pulling away, she laid back and encouraged him to move on top of her again, not that he needed much convincing. Once Steve resumed his pace, it took both of them no time at all to really work up to panting their pleasure, moans mingling between them every so often. It was some time in the middle of all that when Natasha realized that she really cared about him. Sliding her hands up to the back of his head, she pulled him down for a long kiss just as he let go and locked her ankles around his waist to keep him close.

Eventually, they wound up a sweaty pile on the bed, Steve’s head pillowed on her chest. He panted lightly and she stroked his hair, taking pleasure all the while in the way he felt on top of her. Maybe this would be a good time to tell him. It felt right, like saying those little words would be this step in their relationship that definitely went alongside the fact that they were finally able to do this properly.

She opened her mouth to speak and Steve got to it first. “Hey, Tasha?” He mused, not lifting his head. Natasha was sure she could feel his cheek getting hotter against the bare skin he was nestled against. She made a sound for him to continue and he just went right on with it, no hesitation. “I love you.”

Natasha’s fingers froze for a second and she choked on the breath she’d been holding. Several seconds of silence passed before she felt like she was able to breathe again and continue lightly scratching over his scalp. “I love you too,” she added belatedly. “Even if you are the biggest dork I know.”

She could feel him smiling against her skin and he picked his head up a moment later, leaning in for another brief kiss before taking his position again. That was how they fell asleep that night, with Steve’s head on Natasha’s chest and their legs tangled together.

The next morning, they had the supreme pleasure of showering together and Steve made a show of sitting down to watch Natasha get dressed for work. There was just something special about watching her zip up the back of her skirt, not to mention how privileged he felt to be watching her put her makeup on. Unfortunately, depending on your point of view, watching Natasha slowly roll her pantyhose on caused them to be a solid fifteen minutes late that morning. She’d never spent a weeknight at his house before because they couldn’t show up together the next day and it would be weird to split up outside his apartment, so this was all very new.

“Well,” Darcy announced when they got there. “Don’t you two look happy.”

Natasha leaned up for a kiss and sauntered off to her desk. Thor wouldn’t even be in yet, so she went ahead and settled in without worrying that she’d been a little late. The day trudged on, but Steve had a meeting for lunch so it seemed longer than usual, to be honest. Mid-afternoon, she made her way into the break room for a cup of coffee and came back to find a young delivery boy impatiently waiting at her desk beside an absolutely huge bouquet of red roses.

“Can I help you? If you’re looking for Amora, she’s two flights down.”

The kid rolled his eyes and Natasha pressed her lips together in annoyance. “No, I’m looking for a Natasha—“ He sounded it out. “Ro-mah-noff?”

Natasha blinked. He didn’t. “That’s me,” she answered, plucking the card he offered her and signing the delivery slip so he could be on his way. “Have a nice day!” She called after him in an overly bright tone, since he didn’t even say goodbye.

Sitting down at her desk, Natasha opened the card and smiled to herself. Her boyfriend was officially ridiculous, as far as she was concerned. She nearly called his office right then, but she figured it’d be better in person. Unfortunately, she couldn’t leave just yet since Thor had been shouting about something in his office for the last twenty minutes and she was sure she’d have some part to play in all of this.

“Natasha!” He bellowed as he stepped out of his office. “Get me—“

Just like that, the whole angry-boss thing melted right off his face as he noticed the roses now sitting off to the side near her computer so they weren’t in the way. “From Steve?” He ventured, glancing down at the card. “Who knew he was such a romantic?”

Natasha shrugged, but she couldn’t quite hide the smile that brought to her face. Thor seemed to liked that, and his smile only grew wider. “When you’re through basking in the warmth of your new relationship, would you mind getting Amora up here to see me?”

“Of course,” she answered, already picking up the phone. “I’m sure she’ll come right up.”

Thor groaned and went back to his office, followed by Amora just ten minutes later. If Natasha hadn’t just spoken to her at her desk, she would have believed the blonde was waiting around the corner for her chance to come in. The rest of the afternoon involved way too much daydreaming as she toyed with the silky edge of a few petals, thinking about Steve.

How dare he be so romantic! She glanced at the card again:

_Natasha,_

_Forever grateful that you’re my girl._

_xoxo Steve_

_P.S. I know you’re not crazy about flowers, but roses have thorns so I figured these would be okay._

By the time five o’clock rolled around, Natasha had witnessed a very pissed off Amora stomping away, said good night to her giant of a boss, and separated her roses into a small vase she found lying around and the vase they came in. She’d be taking half with her and leaving half at work so she could look at them whenever she wanted. This time, Steve came striding up to her desk five minutes before it was time to go and offered her a wide, yet somewhat cautious smile.

“Hey, how was work?” He asked, leaning down for a brief kiss. “I, uh—I see you got my flowers.”

Natasha just raised her eyebrows at him, glancing pointedly to the roses for a moment before meeting his eyes again. It was enough to make him nervous and Steve was rubbing the back of his neck a second later. “I mean, I just wanted to get you something pretty, you know? And I don’t know your shoe size yet, so I figured—roses are pretty classic—“

Poor guy. Taking pity on him, Natasha got to her feet and grabbed the vase with the roses she was taking home. “How big do you think your backseat is?” She ventured, already leading the way out.

Steve was slow to answer, but he managed it by the time they got to the elevator. “Pretty big,” he mused. “I mean, it’s a decent sized car…”

Natasha nodded thoughtfully, hitting the button to go down. “We might have to try that out.”

><><><><><><><><><>SIX MONTHS LATER<><><><><><><><><><

“Steve, if you don’t pick a fucking color, I’m withholding sex for at least a week.”

They had been standing in the paint section of the nearest Lowe’s for what felt like a full half an hour now. Natasha’s patience was wearing very thin after the flooring fiasco not too long ago and she was about ready to get the hell out of there, but _someone_ wouldn’t hurry up. Shooting a glare her way, Steve considered the paint options in front of him once more and eventually plucked a blue card out so he could proudly show it to her. “For the record,” he mused as they waited for the matching can of paint. “I don’t think you could withhold for a week.”

“Is that a challenge?” She countered. “Because I’ll do it just for spite.”

Together, they brought their cart up to the register and paid before Steve could change his mind and before Natasha could make good on her threat. Everything was loaded into the trunk of Steve’s car and they were finally on their way again, eventually pulling into the parking spot of their brand new apartment building.

The can of blue paint joined the other cans and Steve and Natasha changed into clothes they didn’t mind getting dirty because they were about to paint Steve’s studio- and they were going to get dirty. Of course, neither actually anticipated exactly _how_ dirty they would get, but once Steve flicked the first bit of paint at Natasha, it was all over. He reflected on his amazing life choices after Natasha pulled his shirt off and began painting long lines of blue up and down the length of his chest, but before she let him do the same to her—and definitely before he shoved her against a freshly painted wall to finish the job.

Once they were lying on the floor together with paint all over the place and smudge marks on the wall they’d painted, Steve thought about it again. He thought about how happy Natasha made him and how glad he was that he’d asked her to pretend for him that day. But it seemed like Natasha was lost in thought as well. They so often stayed like this after sex- Steve’s head on her chest, Natasha’s fingers raking lightly through his hair and Steve couldn’t think of a place where he was happier. He wanted to stay like this forever, just with Natasha, listening to her heart beat, feeling her chest move with every breath. This was perfect and this time, no one was going to take it away from him.

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! <3


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